An interferometric modulator is a class of MEMS (microelectromechanical) systems devices which have been described and documented in a variety of patents including U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,835,255, 5,986,796, 6,040,937, 6,055,090, and U.S. Pending patent application Ser. Nos. 09/966,843, 09/974,544,10/082,397,10/084,893, and 10/078,282, herein incorporated by reference.
One process for fabricating MEMS devices falls under the label of “surface micromachining” and comprises a sequence of deposition and etch steps that are repeated until a final step or release step. Such a process can often start with some kind of raw material in the form of films or thin film precursors which are deposited beforehand. These precursors may represent a definable component, which can be manufactured in high volumes in dedicated facilities. A more detailed description of this component is provided in patent application Ser. No. 10/606,001 herein incorporated by reference.
Surface micromachining includes monolithic semiconductor-like fabrication processes. Specifically, surface micromachining comprises a sequence of steps that combine film deposition, photolithography, and etching using a variety of techniques. Precursor films can be used as a starting point for the sequence which eventually results in a MEMS device with mechanical structures that can move. More detail on these processes is described in patent application Ser. No. 10/074,562 filed on Feb. 12, 2002 and herein incorporated by reference.
During shipping of the MEMS device, movement of the mechanical structures can occur and may result in damage to the MEMS device.